San Jose sues Major League Baseball over Oakland A’s relocation

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said during a quick briefing Tuesday that she’s confident that the A’s will remain in Oakland.

“We’re ready to negotiate any time the A’s want to come to the table,” Quan said. “I’ve been saying to Lew Wolff we’re ready to go. So, let’s play ball.”

She said Oakland is focused on building a new stadium in town and has two sites under consideration, including one along the waterfront and another where the A’s currently play.

The A’s current ballpark is run down. A sewage problem forced the A’s and Seattle Mariners to use the same locker room after Sunday’s game.

The pipes backed up on the lower levels of the stadium, creating a stink of raw sewage and pools of water in the clubhouses used by both teams and the umpires.

Baseball’s antitrust exemption was granted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1922, with the court ruling that baseball is not interstate commerce.

The lawsuit contends that while baseball may have started as a local affair, it is “squarely in the realm of interstate commerce.”

“MLB clubs ply their wares nationwide, games are broadcast throughout the country on satellite TV and radio, as well as cable channels and MLB clubs have fan bases that span from coast to coast,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges San Jose’s failure to obtain the stadium would result in a loss of $1.8 billion in direct spending over 30 years. It calls on the court to find MLB in violation of antitrust laws and to prevent it from blocking the A’s move. It also seeks damages.